My invention generally relates to a collapsible bag or tank and more particularly to a large storage bag made of impervious flexible sheeting which can be moved to a desired location where it serves as a temporary liquid storage container, then emptied and folded up and moved to a new location.
Collapsible bags made of flexible sheeting are well known and have been used by both industry and the military to serve as temporary storage containers for water, gasoline and chemicals in remote locations. See, for example, the collapsible storage bags and tanks shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,633,172; 2,915,097; 2,969,102 and 4,573,508.
However, the critical water shortage in many areas plus ecologically generated regulations have created a need for a unique form of collapsible storage bag.
It is frequently necessary to drain all of the chemically treated water from a swimming pool, spa or jacuzzi in order to effect repairs such as the marciting of the pool's surface which usually takes a couple of days. Then it is necessary to fill the pool, conventionally with new water from the public water system to which the necessary chemicals must then be added as required to purify the water and prevent algae and other organic growth in the pool.
Draining the water from the pool through the pool's regular drain pipes presents three problems. First, such drainage is slow and means paying the repairmen called in for time when they are relatively idle waiting for the water to drain out of the pool. Secondly, the chemicals in the pool water are lost and must be replaced when the repairs are finished and the pool filled with untreated water. Thirdly, the water must be replaced creating a drain on existing supplies of fresh water which in many areas are extremely limited.
An alternative which eliminates all three problems is to use one or more pumps to pump the water out of the pool and into a temporary storage bag brought in empty and folded up by truck or flat bed trailer to the pool site. The pool water pumped into the storage bag can be tested and any additives needed to adjust the stored water to its desired condition while the repairs are being done. Then when the repairs are completed, the water in the storage bag can be quickly pumped back into the pool and the pool is ready for use without any loss of scarce water or expensive additives.
The only step necessary to complete the operation is to quickly drain all the residual water out of the storage bag. Unless the bag is completely empty, it cannot be folded up to fit onto the bed of a flat bed trailer or into a truck.
I have invented a unique form of collapsible storage bag especially designed to be used for temporary storage of water pumped out of a pool, spa or jacuzzi. In its preferred form the bag will hold about 15,000 gallons of water and measures about 24 feet by 24 feet square in plan view.
The bag is made from two layers of impervious polyvinyl sheeting whose outer edges are securely welded or bonded together to form the collapsible storage bag.
In order to expel air from the bag as water is pumped into it, a vent is provided in the center of the top of the bag. In order to quickly pump the water from the pool and into the bag, a plurality of filling and emptying ports are provided in the side of the bag, which ports when not in use are sealed to prevent water from escaping from the bag.
Finally, in order to permit all the water to be quickly drained from the bag after the bulk of the water is pumped back into the pool through one or more of the ports, the bottom of the bag is provided with four sealable drain holes, one of which is located closely adjacent to each of the four corners of the bottom of the bag.
Since the bag when in use sits on ground near the pool which usually is not entirely level, it is necessary in order to quickly and entirely empty the bag of all its water to have a sealable drain hole adjacent each of the four corners of the bag. It is essential that the bag be entirely empty in order to fold the bag so it will conveniently fit onto the trailer or truck used to move the bag from the pool site.
While I prefer the square form of the bag, it may be made in other forms provided that the bag contain a vent in the top of the bag, a plurality of sealable ports in the side of the bag, and a plurality of sealable drain holes spaced along the outer edge of the bottom of the bag.